Ordinary
by HeathenVampires
Summary: AU Adam!Vlad. Adam Giles, ordinary boy. Erin Noble, his ordinary girlfriend. Right?


**So, because I am a shameless Adam!Vlad addict (which amuses me because AFAIK I am the only one who writes it presently), and because I thought maybe I should write one that wasn't Adam/Ingrid? Well I was watching Season Two earlier and the Slayers are all "lets kill the Chosen One"... This was inspired.**

 **If you haven't read my other Adam!Vlad stuff, basically he didn't get adopted by the Count and doesn't know he's half vampire or any of that.**

 **Also, you know you may have a slight addiction to writing fanfiction when you literally dream about it.**

-AG-

"She said yes? To you? Are you sure this wasn't a dream?" Adam loved his little sister, but she had zero faith in him clearly. "No George, it was not a dream. I asked her to the Valentine's Ball, and she said yes." "But Erin is way out of your league!" Adam chuckled as their mother, Sally Giles, scolded George. "That isn't very nice, Adam is a handsome boy and Erin apparently agrees! When do we get to meet her?" "Calm down mum, maybe let me actually take her to the disco before you swoop in and scare her off?" Their mother pretended to sulk, then resumed cooing over Adam having a date to the disco.

"Well, if you need me I'll be at the Branaghs. I'll tell Robin you have a date, then he can come over and mock you in my place!" The hyperactive bundle of curls dashed out of the door then, leaving laughter in her wake as Adam finished loading the dishwasher while his mum made tea. Sure enough, Robin was around less than five minutes later. "I can't believe she said yes!" "Why is that everyone's take on it? Am I that bad?" "Next to me? Obviously. That's why she said yes, I wasn't there to give her another option." "I'll be sure to pass that thought along to Delilah shall I?" Robin grinned, shoving Adam's arm playfully and thanking Sally for his cup of tea.

"Yeah, well, when Ingrid finally realises she loves me you can say what you like to Delilah." Rolling his eyes, Adam felt like the only boy at school who didn't fall over drooling for Ingrid Count. He could see objectively she was attractive, but she wasn't the most social creature and Adam had plenty of goth and bat loving in his best friend, he didn't need more. "You do realise for that to happen, she would have to speak to you for longer than it takes to say 'clear off insect licker'?" Robin was undeterred, waxing lyrical about Ingrid's eyes, hair and even the skulls emblazoned on her school backpack. "You don't even like blue eyes!" "You just wish I wanted you Adam, everybody does." Robin was so vain, such hard work sometimes but he was also effortlessly cheery and funny whenever Adam needed it.

"That must be it. Nothing to do with what you said when I told you I wanted to ask Erin out." Robin shrugged, looking over at Sally and then at the fireplace full of family photos. "Where did you even get blue eyes from? Your mum and George have darker eyes like us." "Michael had blue eyes, duh." Michael Giles - his and George's father, had died in a car accident a little over a year ago now. "Oh yeah. Sorry, I always forget I've said that before." "It's ok. Want to go play Xbox?" Robin agreed eagerly, a vicious and competitive gamer. Adam stopped to give his mum a hug, she still looked a little sad at the mention of her husband sometimes. "Go on, before Robin starts playing against himself and still somehow complains he lost." Chuckling at the accurate approximation of Robin, Adam went to join his friend at the games console.

Nerves making themselves very known right now, Adam tried to get his hair to lie flat for more than three seconds and brushed imagined fluff off his shirt. "Are you really wearing a tie to this dance thing? Does Erin know you're a total geek?" Looking down, Adam was now even more unsure. "Is it too much?" George nodded, giving him a thumbs up when he ditched the grey tie and turned back to the mirror. "Now it doesn't look right just shirt and trousers. This is so hard!" George was already dressed - simple and cutesy in her sandy coloured dress patterned with hieroglyphics. Mind you, last year she went dressed as Indiana Jones and their mother had been torn between laughing hysterically and asking her to dress a little less like it was Halloween. "Put that red shirt on, the one with the shiny buttons and unbutton the collar. The rest is fine."

"Getting fashion advice from an eleven year old... There's something wrong there." George giggled, squealing and covering her eyes when Adam took off the shirt he was wearing to change it. "Too pale! Make it stop!" George only had to look at the sun and she got a tan, Adam could spend hours out in it and all that got him was terrible sunburn and a return to milk-white. "Shirt on, you're safe now." George peeked through her fingers, sighing in relief when she saw Adam buttoning up the red shirt. "Now come on, we'll be late if you don't get out of that mirror soon!" Sticking his tongue out petulantly at reflection-George, Adam gave one last attempt at flattening his hair, dabbed on some aftershave, sighed and followed his little sister out.

Erin looked as pretty as ever, pulling off shirt and jeans much better than him and looking cute in her flannel shirt to boot. She smiled shyly when he approached her, making the butterflies in his stomach double as he greeted her. "Hey." "Hi." It was a little awkward, but the tension was soon broken by George garnering their attention to point over at Ingrid Count - who was in the process of throwing her drink in one boys face and sending a different boy to get her a new one. Both chuckling now, George grinned triumphantly and disappeared again. "Never seems to slow them down any, by tomorrow the same boys will be all over her." "That's why she has the Branagh twins I guess."

They meandered over to the drinks table, leaning against the wall nearby and making less awkward small talk. As the music went from fast and loud to slightly slower, more melodic, Adam turned to Erin. "May I have this dance?" She giggled at his old fashioned invitation, gesturing to the music stand. "I thought boys hated slow dancing." "Ah, no. Common misconception. We don't mind it, we are just terrified of girls asking us to slow dance first, because then we get nervous and mess it up. I can ballroom dance, I'm not worried." Erin shrugged, placing her empty paper cup down and taking his outstretched hand. "Lead the way." Her hand was warm in his, making his stomach do backflips somehow as she held his shoulders while he held her waist.

George was grinning from over by the abundance of heart shaped sweets and jellies, and Adam knew he would be taking a sugar fuelled little sister home later. The music shifted back to less suitable for this type of dancing, but now the ice was properly broken they both managed much better conversation. "I still can't believe you play rugby, you barely come up to the other guys chests!" "Hey, I'm good at rugby! Which makes up for the fact I am awful at chess, George beats me six ways to Sunday every time." Erin laughed, noticing his little sister still periodically popping up near them to be irritating. "It's getting late, kiss her goodbye or don't but hurry up about it!" Covering his flaming cheeks with his hands as George ran off, he apologised profusely to Erin.

"I'm sorry, she wasn't born, she landed here in a spaceship and said we had to take care of her." Erin was still laughing, whether at George or him he wasn't sure. "Well are you?" "Am I what?" Embarrassment had clearly stolen his thought capacity, or that might be Erin leaning in to kiss his cheek. "Go on, get her back to the mothership. I will see you at school." Heart still hammering slightly, Adam nodded dumbly and went to retrieve his sister. "You are an absolute terror! Come on you little nightmare." "She kissed you though, so it worked!" Staring at the bouncing curls as George skipped ahead in bemusement, Adam wasn't sure what to make of that.

* * *

Back at school, there were clearly couples who had gotten together at the dance scattered around the place but Adam was only interested in one person. "Morning." Erin smiled up at him, slipping a warm arm around his waist briefly in greeting. Unsure of the exact protocol for dating at school, Adam didn't push for more than that, but couldn't help smiling when Erin sat next to him in their shared classes. Waiting by the gates for their mother to collect them, Erin the current victim of George's ability to hold almost an entire conversation by herself at a mile a minute.

"Did you ask her yet?" Clearly his mother had teamed up with George to force his hand, asking that as soon as she saw Erin waiting with them. "Ask me what?" George rolled her eyes, shaking her head at Adam before turning back to the blonde girl. "Mum told him to invite you over to ours so mum can meet you and approve!" "I did not say approve George, don't overexaggerate." Shaking his head, Adam hoped they hadn't scared the girl off already. "I will ask my aunt, but that should be alright. She will probably say the same about you though, is that ok?" Adam nodded, glad Erin wasn't bolting under his exuberant family. "Speaking of, my uncle is here to get me. I'll see you tomorrow."

His cheeks flamed again when Erin kissed his cheek before heading off, leaving Adam to glare at George. "Don't say a word." Climbing into the car, Adam resumed glaring at his sister as they headed home. "Is Erin allergic to anything?" Naturally, his mother was already planning how best to scare his new girlfriend off. "Not that I know of. She is a vegetarian though." "Damnit, we can't have turkey dinosaur fights!" That was George's main priority, clearly. Changing out of his uniform, Adam let George play alongside him on the games console in an effort to shut her up about Erin. Which worked for about half an hour, but she was a girl on a mission to make Adam blush as much as possible.

Good or bad, he wasn't sure but Erin did come over for dinner later that week, and somehow she was still talking to him by the end of it (he was still wondering just how much bribery it took from their mother to get George to behave a little bit). "Well, that was an experience. Especially the baby pictures." Hiding his face in his hands again, Adam was still not impressed his mother had pulled our the baby pictures - especially on Erin's first trip to their home. "I can't believe she got those albums out." His cheeks were probably stained red for all eternity now. "Don't forget, you're coming to my house next week. So it'll be me getting embarassed by my uncle. And quizzed by my aunt." "Way to make me nervous Erin." She chuckled, smiling softly and suddenly he didn't mind so much.

There was a warm hand on his cheek then, soft lips touching to his own. Naturally, George ruined the moment somewhat by wolf whistling out of the window, both turning to see her dragged away by their mother. "My sister is a loon." "Yeah, well so is my older brother. And you get to meet him next week." "Should I be nervous about that too?" Erin seemed to deliberate on that for a moment, just to make him sweat. "Nah, Ryan is harmless. Mostly. I'm joking." She kissed him again, and this time George wasn't interrupting them. Erin's own cheeks were flushed when they broke apart, obvious even under the moonlight and Adam felt his heart skip at the sight. "Your ride is here, thank you for not being scared off by my family." "Haven't you noticed? I don't scare easy."

Waving somewhat awkwardly at her uncle in the front of the car, Adam escaped back to his house. "George, you little terror!" "You were kissing! I felt the occasion could not go unmarked." She smiled innocently, the reason Adam could never stay mad at her. "I do feel sorry for her and her brother, losing their parents so young to such a bad thing." Adam hadn't asked, but Erin had volunteered the information her parents were killed by someone when she was only a little girl, her and Ryan raised by their mothers sister and her husband. "Yeah, but she says her aunt and uncle have been brilliant to them. And she's clearly awesome. Even if she thinks Adam is attractive." "Cheers George."

Changing after rugby practice, Adam smoothed down his shirt nervously and met Erin at the gate - she had stayed to watch him play. Which the other boys thought hilarious, shoving him playfully and saying he 'had done alright there!'. "Try not to look like you're going to your death. They want to meet you!" "I'm allowed to be nervous, I haven't done this before." Erin rolled her eyes, kissing him until he smiled. He then blushed deeply - her uncle honked his horn forcing the two apart. "Come on, they don't bite!" Adam wiped sweaty palms on his jeans as they got into the car, feeling a little like he was being driven to an untimely demise.

The first thing he noticed was a rope of garlic hung near their front door, which Erin rolled her eyes at and explained "it apparently keeps evil spirits away. My aunt is into that." Nodding as though he understood, Adam followed them inside and recognised another classmate. "Oh, hi Jonno." Jonathan Van Helsing (who was according to Erin, a friend of Ryan's and spent a lot of time there) nodded shortly at Adam, then disappeared off with Ryan. "Dinner isn't done yet" Erin's aunt bore a passing resemblance to Erin, floppy blonde hair and bright eyes "so give Adam the tour? And leave your door open!" Both teens flushed then, Adam sort of spluttering and Erin groaning in annoyance as she dragged him away to see the living room. There was more garlic in there too, and Adam recognised wood carving equipment - his mother owned a fair bit as an artist.

"Do you get many evil spirits in the living room?" "Only when my uncle hasn't had his morning coffee." Chuckling, Adam followed Erin out to see the back garden - where they were apparently also growing garlic. Alongside other vegetables at least here. "Well, I guess garlic is good for your blood. Should I expect garlic in the food?" "I've seen you eat garlic bread like it's going out of style, you'll be fine I imagine." Grinning, Adam conceded her point and now her bedroom was on the tour. "Cheery. Reminds me of Robin's room. Actually no, you may have more plastic bats than he does." Erin didn't give off the goth vibe at school, but her room was littered with things like plastic fangs, bats and books on vampires.

"I did say I don't scare easy. Do you?" "You have met Robin right?" Erin looked a little relieved Adam wasn't running away now he had seen this, smiling and flicking a hanging bat so its wings moved. "What did this one do wrong?" One was stuck against the wall, what could only be described as a wooden stake through it's fake fluffy body. "That one hung at just the right height to annoy Ryan whenever he came in here, and apparently had to suffer the consequences." Snorting a little as he laughed, Adam shook his head. "And I'm not supposed to be concerned about meeting him?" "You're not a bat!" Well, she wasn't wrong he supposed.

Taking the lead for once, Adam leaned down to kiss Erin, smiling to himself when she responded. "Stop feeling each other up you two, dinners done." "Oh do go away Ryan." The siblings pulled faces at each other, and Adam saw Jonno follow Ryan down. "Do we ever not get interrupted?" "Apparently not. Come on, there's usually garlic bread." There was indeed a rather copious amount of garlic bread, and Adam had the strangest feeling he was being watched until he had eaten some but shook it off. He was quizzed on school, rugby and his family over dinner, stuffed full of food by the time they made it to dessert. Never one to turn down chocolate cake, Adam decided it was worth feeling sick later on and forced it down happily.

"So, Adam" he looked up from his cup of tea, still feeling like his stomach might explode if he moved too fast "what do you think of vampires?" Erin groaned next to him "oh come on uncle Dylan, not this again." "Uh... In what context? Do I like vampire movies? Or vampire stories? Do I dance in the blood of nubile virgins under a full moon?" Smirking to himself - that was a line out of one of Robin's vampire books - as the adults choked on surprise, Erin burst into giggles next to him. "That may be the best reaction I've ever seen." "Ahem" Dylan recalled Adam's attention "all of the above I suppose. Maybe not the nubile virgin." "I don't mind them. My best friend, Robin, he's pretty in to them so I've seen the Dracula movie a few times, and he likes to go on about bats. That's it really."

By the time his mum came to get him, the subject of vampires had been dropped. As Erin kissed him goodbye and he felt eyes on his retreating form, Adam couldn't help feeling like he had passed some sort of bizarre test. Especially with all the garlic everywhere.

* * *

Four months later, Adam and Erin were still going strong and she turned up to his birthday party looking stunning as ever. "Happy birthday." "I hate birthdays. Everyone is going to sing at me and I will be forced to cringe the entire way through." George bounded past them, chasing Robin who had stolen her hat to say "suck it up and eat some cake pale face." Erin added a wrapped gift to the pile on the table, kissing him in greeting now George wasn't stood next to them (she still cat called) and smiling.

"What happened to your arm?" There was a bandage wrapped around her forearm, that Adam was sure hadn't been there when he saw her two days previously. "Tidying up my uncle's woodwork stuff, scratched my arm. I am fine, stop trying to get out of being the centre of attention on your birthday." Pouting sulkily, Adam spent as much time as possible hiding behind Erin. Who was no help at all and shoved him into centre stage of the garden while everyone sang happy birthday at him. Cheeks flushed hotly, he kept his eyes on the ground until they were done and resumed hiding behind his girlfriend as soon as humanly possible.

"I hate you all, now go eat cake and stop harassing me!" His family and friends only laughed, Erin right along with them and mercilessly teasing him for his shyness. "How did you ever ask me to the disco?" "I spent about a week and a half mentally preparing." Adam admitted. "You spent a week and a half preparing 'um Erin would you like to go to the Valentine's Ball with me' and spilling milk on Robin?" "The milk was an accident. I probably would have made more of a fool of myself if you hadn't said yes right away." Her mouth twitched, mischief playing across her smile. "I should have made you wait, that could have been funny." "You are so mean to me, why I do put up with you?"

Erin checked they were alone, or as alone as they could be in the garden, before winking and whispering "because otherwise we can't have a sleepover tonight." If Adam suddenly had thoughts inappropriate for a family party, well he was a fifteen year old boy, not a monk. He was still fairly surprised both families had agreed to the sleepover in the first place, but then Adam and Erin were fairly tamely behaved at all times. When people could see them at least, they were all shy smiles and holding hands and blushing when they got caught kissing. When they were alone, neither were especially good at keeping their hands to themselves. Well, it wasn't his fault his girlfriend was exceptionally attractive.

"That doesn't mean you should be so mean to me. Otherwise I might leave you with no excuse to tend off Jonno." The Van Helsing boy was clearly infatuated with Erin, which he made little attempt to hide most of the time but Erin had told him repeatedly she wasn't interested, and now she was dating Adam he had backed off. "That's just harsh, now who's being mean?" "I am a delight, what are you talking about?" Erin rolled her eyes, but then she kissed him again anyway before vanishing to eat cake.

When the party wound down and they had both changed into pyjamas, Adam had her sit down on the side of the bath so he could change the bandage on her arm. "Its fine, you don't have to." "I want to. I have a little sister, I can patch you up no problem." Either it had been a bad accident, or Erin was downplaying what had happened. There was a three or four inch long line down her forearm, like something sharp had been pushed down along the skin. "This might sting." Erin only hissed a little when he cleaned it with antiseptic, covering it in healing cream and wrapping a clean bandage over it. "I can think of more creative ways to play doctors and nurses."

Rolling his eyes as he washed his hands, Adam let himself be dragged back to his room. "I am not sure you have an entirely innocent look in your eyes Miss Noble." "What are you going to do about it?" Making to settle in his bed like he was ready to sleep, Adam hid a grin as he answered "I am going to lie here and sleep, while you get rid of those bad thoughts and sleep yourself." Somehow, as Erin rolled him onto his back and knelt over him to kiss him, Adam doubted that was what she planned to do.

* * *

Erin's birthday was earlier in the school year than his, so she turned sixteen a few months before him. "So, what are your birthday plans?" "I told you, my aunt and uncle are taking me and Ryan to visit our grandparents for the week." "Yes, you did tell me that. Sorry, head full of GCSE maths right now." Erin accepted his apology, resuming studying opposite him as they prepared for their exams mere months away.

Her birthday passed without much fanfare - she was over in England, so technically he and her were in different countries for the event. He did call her to wish her happy birthday, but didn't get long to chat to her before she had to go. "Is she so sick of you she had to visit England just for a break?" George plopped down next to him, offering him a biscuit and getting crumbs all over the sofa again. "She is visiting her grandparents, that's hardly going on a break from me." George hummed under her breath, flicking through the tv channels.

"Remember that girl Ingrid? She left school like the day after she turned sixteen, and everyone assumed her and her dad had left Stokely. But Ian and Paul swear they saw her kissing some guy in the cinema." "George, why on earth would I know better than you? You've actually been to the castle, I haven't." "True, and I am the genius of the two of us. Just weird, that's all." Apparently bored by the selection of available programmes, George disappeared off to do... he had no idea what, absently chewing on the biscuit George had given him.

He couldn't put his finger on it, but Erin came back different from her trip to her grandparents. Some invisible weight rested over her shoulders, he could see it when silence fell between them - Erin looked sad. Adam tried asking her what was wrong a few times, but she would always shrug him off. Then there was the cancelled dates, outright avoidance at times. Which confused him even more so because Erin did make the effort to accompany him to the Valentine's disco again. Which, for some reason involving rats at school and the Branagh twins getting detention, was held at Stokely Castle.

Even then, Erin seemed ill at ease with Mr Count - Ingrids father when he appeared to talk to Jonno's mother. Pulling her out into the early evening air, Adam wasn't sure this would come out right. "Are you cheating on me? Or just bored of me?" Erin looked perplexed, shaking her head at him. "What on earth makes you think that Adam?" "Since you came back from England, you've been cancelling on me, ignoring me and bloody hell, tonight's our anniversary and I feel like you would rather be anywhere but here." There was a hint of tears in her eyes that almost had Adam backtracking, but he wanted answers. "And you just assume you're the problem?" "I'm your boyfriend and it's Valentine's day, is that a tough leap to make?"

"I don't have the energy for this, I have to go." Erin literally turned and left him there, staring after her where she ran down the long driveway from Stokely Castle. He would have gone after her, at least to make sure she was safe but Ryan and Jonno appeared then, following Adam's pointing after her. "I'll deal with you later." Sighing, Adam leant against the wall and scrubbed a hand over his face. Not the ideal way to spend Valentines, alone outside a spooky castle staring after the girl who may or may not have just dumped him. Texting his mum to come pick him up, Adam went back in and retrieved George. "What's up bro?" "Uhhhh, I am not sure but it involved Erin running off and Ryan threatening me slightly as he went after her." George's brow furrowed in confusion, but then they had company - Ingrid Count.

"What are you two doing loitering out here?" "Admiring the... hearse. Sorry, waiting for our mum to pick us up and it's way too warm in there." He had never outright spoken to the girl before - she usually had either a fan club or bodyguards in the form of the Branagh twins. George had been to the castle with the Branaghs a few times though - Mrs Branagh and Mr Count were apparently good friends. Though Mr Count hadn't looked the friendly sort, if Adam was honest with himself. Ingrid did something a little strange - she sniffed the air, before looking right at Adam and stepping closer. "Should I be concerned? Or is my aftershave that good?" Ingrid held up a hand, inhaling almost right against his neck before disappearing.

"Oook. That was odd. Do I smell funny George?" His little sister leaned up, sniffing him and shaking her head. "Aftershave and fruity, but I think the latter is Erin's lip balm on your collar." Swiping at the fabric ineffectively, Adam heard their mums car approaching. "Come on short stuff, lets get away from here before anything else bad or weird happens." "I am not that short, and you aren't that tall." Walking over to the car, Adam caught a very strange expression on his mothers face, fixed on something behind them. Turning to follow her eyeline, Adam saw Ingrid again, stood conversing with her father in hurried, hushed tones. Climbing into the car with George, their mother didn't say a word as she pulled away from the castle, speeding back to their home.

* * *

"Off to bed George, its late." "Are you ok mum? You look a bit wigged out." Their mum pulled up a smile, but Adam could see just how forced it was. "I'm fine, bed madam." George huffed but went, and their mother waited until they heard her bedroom door close and tv flick on loudly.

"Ok, now talk. You are not fine mum." She sighed, rubbing hands over her face. "I should have told you this before, but I didn't want you thinking it changed anything." Raising an eyebrow in query, Adam sat down opposite her at the table. "Michael isn't your biological father." Ok, he wasn't expecting that. "I... What?" "I got very, very drunk at Whitby Goth Festival the year you were... conceived, and I had a very very drunken encounter with a man who told me his name was Salem Smith. Michael and I were just friends then, and I told him what had happened. I found out I was pregnant a month or so later, and Michael and I hadn't... he knew you weren't his. He said it didn't matter, asked me out there and then and said he would be your father no matter what."

Head spinning, Adam stared at her. "I don't know what to do with this information, what does it have to do with the way you were acting up at the castle?" "What did you say that girls name was?" "I didn't, but her name is Ingrid. Ingrid... Count." Under the overload of information, he had to think about it for a moment. "So her father is?" "Mr Count. That's all anyone ever calls him. Except Ingrid obviously calls him dad. Am I working out that I should be calling him that too?" Rather than speak again, his mother nodded. "Blimey. And Michael knew this the whole time?" "Every minute. You were still always his son and he loved you like his own. Said it was my choice to tell you because it didn't change a thing for him."

It all started fitting together now he thought about it. George looked just like her father, light hair and an easy tan, and Adam looked a little like their mother but mostly he stuck out, all pale skin and dark hair. And the blue eyes it transpired he had not inherited from Michael. Rubbing at his jaw, Adam didn't know what to say. "Just when I thought today couldn't get any weirder." "What do you mean?" "I think Erin and I broke up. Not sure. I'm going to bed. I'm not mad at you mum, I swear. Just... Need some time to process." "Alright son. I'll see you in the morning." Making sure to hug her before he went upstairs, Adam dropped onto his bed and sighed. Checking his phone as he plugged it in to charge, there was a missed call from Erin but he really really didn't have the energy to possibly be dumped again.

A rough nights sleep later, Adam dragged himself out of bed and into the shower. Pulling on his favourite hoody and jeans to feel comfortable and a little less overwhelmed, Adam looked in the mirror. Having never had cause to look, he hadn't realised he and Ingrid did look a little alike. Blue eyes, pale skin, high sweeping cheekbones, and of course the dark brown/black hair. Blinking away the tears building behind his eyes, his whole world sort of turned upside down. Breakfast sounded good though, so he went in search of chocolate cereal and fruit juice. "You look sad Adam, what's wrong?" George pottered over to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Just not sure what to do about Erin, right now I want to eat lots of children's cereal and watch movies with you. That ok?"

George eagerly agreed, pulling out the classic Harry Potter boxset and curling up next to him. They had made it to the third one before the door knocked, confusing Adam - their mum was at work and Sunday was their day, the Branaghs knew that. Opening the door revealed Ryan, who looked a bit unsure about everything. "I uh, I need you to come with me. To see Erin." Adam wanted to say no, but he also wanted answers to at least one part of the confusion in his mind. "Give me five minutes? I have to get George ready and next door." Ryan nodded, walking back over to his car and waiting. "I have to pop out, apparently Erin wants to see me and Ryan is nothing if not stubborn and persistent. Go get dressed, I'll walk you next door short stuff."

George nodded understandingly, hurrying up to get dressed and bouncing back down the stairs. Walking her to the Branaghs, he locked their house up and knocked on the others door. "Sorry Elizabeth, but I need to pop out and mums at work. Can you watch George for me?" "Oh, of course Adam! She practically lives here anyway." George turned to hug him, whispered 'good luck' and darted into the Branagh house. "I shouldn't be long, but mum will be back in two hours if you get sick of her." "I heard that!" Waving, Adam walked over to the car. "Lets do this."

The drive to the Noble home was awkward, silent and nerve wracking. "For the record, I'm against this." That sounded ominous, but he had come this far so Adam walked past the garlic rope like he had a dozen times or so before. "Right. This is where we let the two talk, stop loitering Ryan." Erin looked nervous as her aunt ushered Ryan and Dylan out, indicating Adam should sit next to her. "You were right, I have been distracted since my birthday. And I haven't been that good to you, and I'm sorry." With how sad she looked, Adam couldn't help but apologise. "I'm sorry for how I acted last night, I was out of order."

"Maybe, but you were right about it all. Except me cheating on you, that isn't what has been going on. This... This is going to sound mental." "Can't be more mental than the night I had. Not important, you talk first." Erin deliberated for a moment, then apparently decided to continue. "I was... I have been training. That's what the week long holiday was, my initiation." This was starting to sound a little cultish and weird. "Initiation to what exactly? Is this a weird religious thing?" She sat drumming her fingers against her leg for a moment, and Adam was growing a little impatient.

Apparently, so was Ryan. "Blood and garlic, is this going to get done tonight?" "Did he just say blood and garlic?" Erin looked over at the doorway Ryan's voice came from, then surprised Adam by kissing him. "You're right Ryan, I can't do this. You tell him." There was a deep sigh, then Ryan walked back in. "I'm still against this, but Erin has been so whiny about feeling bad about you. We, that is to say, my family and the Van Helsings, are vampire slayers. Yes. Vampires exist. Our mother and father were killed by a vampire. And before we go through the back and forth Jonno did, yes I am absolutely serious." After the night Adam had had, it actually almost made sense.

"How did Erin hurt her arm before?" "Practicing putting a stake up her sleeve, forgot to not give her a really sharp one." There was a faint scar along her forearm from that, and that bothered him. "Ok. Question two. Why the blue blazes are you guys in Stokely? This wet little Welsh village is not exactly vampire central. More suburban apathy and camping when it isn't flooded." Ryan rolled his eyes again, clearly impatient. "Oh, you would be surprised. The Grand High Vampire - that's like the leader of all vampires - was killed here, and so there's going to be a coronation. Vampire tradition states the coronation of the new one happens where the last one died. Meaning the main leaders of vampire clans will be here. Stokely Castle."

Adam was suddenly growing very nervous. "The castle? You mean the Counts? Ingrid and her dad are vampires?" "Yeah, not Counts. Draculas, that's why Ingrid dropped out of school and why Erin was half elsewhere in her mind. Being around vampires isn't easy. More specifically, the slayers guild is sending a couple of top level slayers, there's this prophecy that this special vampire, the Chosen One of something, is about to come of age. Many fangs, one stake." Looking around, Adam had no clue what any of this meant. Except, if he believed his mother, and Mr Count was his father... Adam might be one of those things they were supposed to kill. Ingrid sniffing him in confusion and talking to her father suddenly rang in his mind - he might smell different to humans. "I... I have to go." Never more thankful he was fast and strong, Adam ran for his life. Possibly literally.

He heard Erin call after him, and absolutely expected them to follow him. But he had to keep running, and he could not lead them to his home. Looking up at Stokely Castle, and hoping he wasn't about to be torn limb from limb by 'vampire clan heads', Adam took a deep breath and ran for the hill. With any luck, he would wake up and this would all be a really, really strange dream.

-AG-

 **This is only a one shot, I feel like continuing it would just be a sort of alternate to Adam's Story. And I have too many active stories anyway, but here's some not Adam/Ingrid Adam!Vlad. Enjoy!**


End file.
